Mr.
El and Mr. Smitty walked out the faculty room door and into the empty
hallway. “I’ll need your help,” Mr. El
said quietly but firmly.“Help
with what”? Mr. Smitty asked, even though he already knew the
answer.“Finding
a way to teach Miss Joan a lesson,” Mr. El responded.
“After all, we are educators, and it’s our job to
teach lessons.”Mr. Smitty looked
doubtful. “Maybe you should just forget the whole
thing,” he suggested.“And let
this outrage go unpunished?” Mr. El asked.
“You’re an athletic coach, as well as a third grade
teacher. You’re good at thinking up tactics, how to attack
the enemy, I mean opponent.”“OK,
here’s what you should do: Concede the game!” Mr.
Smitty announced. “This could get out of hand.”“Then
help me so that I don’t get carried away.”Mr. Smitty sighed.
“I guess I’d better help you.”As they turned the
corner to enter the hallway that led to the third and fourth grades,
the two men almost collided with, of all people, Miss Joan.“Miss
Joan,” Mr. El said in a pleasant voice, “How was
your day?”Miss Joan smiled
and said, “Just lovely.”“By the
way,” Mr. El asked with a somewhat less pleasant tone,
“ would you have any idea who might have removed the magnet
from my camping poster?”“I
can’t imagine who would do such a thing!” Miss Joan
said in her most innocent voice. “I wish I could talk more,
but I have to get home and have a fast supper. Goodbye
gentlemen.” Before Mr. El
could utter another syllable, Miss Joan had vanished.“Is it
possible,” Mr. Smitty speculated, “that she really
doesn’t know who did it? The woman isn't a liar.”“She
didn’t lie,” Mr. El growled, “but she did
choose her words carefully. She said she couldn’t
‘imagine’ who did it. She couldn’t imagine
who did it, because she knew who did it!”

For discussion:

1. Do you think that Mr. El should
have no doubt that Miss Joan took his magnet?